The 39 Steps To Parenthood
by oddment1
Summary: Zack and Raya are very happy now that they know that they are going to be parents. However, Zack is about to accidentally get involved in a weird scavenger hunt that could doom the world if the wrong people win.
1. Ambush

Inside a small brown house with a white picket fence around it, a happy couple sat at the dining room table eating breakfast and contemplating the change their family was about to undergo. This couple was former Jem security guard Zack Morgan and his wife Raya Morgan. The day before, Raya had found out that she was pregnant. She had told her husband the wonderful news by buying him a white mug with the word 'DADDY' printed in big black letters. The only thing left was to break the news to their friends since they had told their parents at the previous dinner.

"Are you happy?" Raya asked with wide eyes.

"You bet I am!" Zack replied with a kiss.

"I'm glad because I am ecstatic!" Raya beamed.

"The happiest moment in my life was when I got up at dinner and told the news to our parents," Zack declared. "For a brief moment, I couldn't tell the difference between my parents and yours."

"I know what you mean!" Raya laughed.

"Although…" Zack sighed.

"What's wrong?" Raya asked.

"I'm scared," Zack confessed.

"Honey, we've had discussion before!" Raya protested. "You'll make a wonderful father!"

"That's not what I'm scared of," Zack replied with a shake of his head. "Well… it's not the only thing."

"Then what is it?" Raya pressed.

"You are my best friend and if something happened to you, I don't know what I'd do," Zack whined.

"Lots of women have babies," Raya pointed out.

"I'm not married to them," Zack answered.

"Your momma survived and mine has several times," Raya explained.

"Yes, you have a very Weasleyish family," Zack put out with a grin.

"What?" Raya squeaked with a look of surprise.

"It's from Harry Potter," Zack replied.

"I haven't read any of those books even though most of the foster girls have," Raya admitted.

"One of Harry's best friends is Ron Weasley," Zack declared. "Every one of the many Weasley children is a boy except for the youngest. That's definitely you except that the Weasleys are British and no one in your family has red hair."

"Oh, I see," Raya giggled.

"How do you want to tell our friends?" Zack questioned to change the subject.

"The Misfits are coming to Starlight house tonight for game night," Raya revealed. "We'll be able to tell everyone at once."

"That's good," Zack agreed.

"Why don't you call Jetta and make sure she brings her Scrabble board?" Raya suggested.

"Okay," Zack conceded while getting up to dial the phone.

Zack was stunned when his least favorite person answered the phone.

"Hello?" Pretty Boy, or Riot if you prefer, asked.

Zack was too stunned to speak for a second.

"I said 'Hello!'" Riot barked.

"Uh… is Jetta there?" Zack asked.

"Oh, its you," Riot groaned.

"What is it, mate?" Jetta asked after Riot summoned her.

"Could you bring your Scrabble board tonight?" Zack requested.

"Sure," Jetta agreed.

"Thanks," Zack acknowledged.

"Bye!" Jetta replied just before hanging up.

* * *

><p>"What did Zack want?" Pizzazz wanted to know.<p>

"He wants me to bring my Scrabble board tonight," Jetta revealed.

"That's odd," Pizzazz murmured.

"Why?" Jetta probed.

"We've gotten together with the Holograms several times to play games and he's never cared which one we've played before," Pizzazz explained.

"What do you think it means?" Stormer questioned.

"Bring me your Scrabble board, Jetta," Pizzazz ordered. "I have an idea."

"So are you going to spill it?" Roxy demanded.

"What if this is Zack's and Raya's way of telling us something?" Pizzazz mused.

"And?" Stormer probed when Jetta brought the Scrabble board.

Pizzazz paused for a second while opening the box and rummaging for the letters that she wanted.

"If Raya doesn't spell this word tonight, I will pay each of you Misfits ten dollars," Pizzazz promised after laying the letters on the coffee table.

"Wow!" Stormer marveled. "Do you think…"

"Yuck!" Minx interrupted.

"What are you talking about?" Stormer demanded.

"My condolences to them," Minx snorted.

"You are crazy!" Stormer thundered. "I think it's wonderful!"

"Okay, okay!" Pizzazz cried. "This is not worth fighting over!"

"When did you become such a detective?" Roxy wondered.

"I guess Zack is rubbing off on me," Pizzazz guessed. "If I'm right, let's try not to spoil the surprise for the Holograms."

* * *

><p>"Why were you so stunned on the phone?" Raya asked.<p>

"Riot answered," Zack revealed.

"You still don't like him?" Raya wondered.

"That idiot is so conceded that I think it would be very funny if aliens landed and asked him to take them to his leader," Zack grunted.

"I guess," Raya gave in.

"I better head for work," Zack spoke while kissing his wife good bye.

"Bye!" Raya echoed while hugging her husband.

Zack got in his brown station wagon and headed for Tao Dojo. He had two classes for adults and one for children. It was the children's class that he looked forward to because five of the Starlight girls were taking the class and mimicking every move of their hero. Zack also did most of the setup work such as laying out the mats and putting him away.

After taking all of his young students for a run in a nearby woods to end the day, Zack put everything away when his employer told him to take out the garbage. He had just thrown the garbage into the dumpster when a stone brick nearly hit him in the head. He looked up and he saw something shining in a hole near the top of the building. Curiosity got the better of Zack so he climbed up the fire escape. Upon arriving, he reached into the hole and pulled out a vial with the letter T on it. Soon after Zack put the vial in his pocket to study it later, a gargantuan arm reached around Zack's chest and pulled him on top of the building.

"That's mine!" the voice roared.

"What the…" Zack protested


	2. A Storm Is Brewing

_I thought changing jobs would keep me out of trouble._

Marital Arts instructor Zack Morgan now found himself in a terrible predicament. He was being roughly handled by a brutish idiot that he had never seen before over some stupid vial. Out of the corner of his eye, Zack could see that there were other gorillas that looked suspiciously like their leader. The young man wearing glasses racked his brain for a solution for his dilemma.

"Be careful, dad!" a large teenage boy warned. "He's the one who tore Shego apart!"

"Shego isn't a Holt like us, Hamilton!" the head idiot snorted.

"Yeah, but she throws fireballs!" Hamilton protested.

"Do not talk back to me!" Hamiliton's father ordered.

"You should have listened to your son!" Zack threatened as he kicked the buffoon in the place where he would have least wanted to be kicked.

The move was enough for Zack to get out of the grasp of his new enemy. However, the troll recovered much sooner than Zack would have expected and socked him just under his eye which sent his glasses flying off the building. The confused hero found himself dazed and doubled over for a second while spots danced in front of his eyes. Zack turned around and saw the thug charging him. He was able to barely stop the rhino with a spinning kick. He then followed with a punch to the face and then another kick. His best shots were hardly having any effect on the enemy. That was when Zack decided to try a desperate ploy. He waited for the idiot to charge again and he dodged to his right. The future father jumped on the gorilla's back while wrapping his arms around his neck and squeezing.

"Oh, no you don't!" the villain bellowed while doing a bucking bronco impersonation to throw Zack off.

"HEY! WHOA!" Zack shouted in surprise.

Zack had to wrap his legs around his foe's stomach to keep from being thrown off. After what seemed like an eternity which was only ten seconds, the idiot's eyes rolled back and he thudded to the ground. Zack was tempted to let out a sigh of relief, but he knew that he was not out of trouble yet.

_One down and five to go. Maybe four. It looks like Hamilton doesn't want to play._

"Can't we settle this like civilized people?" Zack pleaded while the remaining gorillas approached. "Okay, let's dance!"

Zack charged at a woman who was apparently the mother of the group since she was in the lead. He jump kicked her in the stomach and she went down to the ground like anyone else would.

_At least these others aren't quite as strong as the one I just took care of._

Zack threw a sweeping punch which hit both of the teenage girls in the face. He then give a spinning kick to the teenage boy who was fighting him. He knew that he would hate himself later for fighting people who were younger than he was, but he also knew that he didn't have much of a choice because any one of them were strong enough to do some serious damage. Zack suddenly went into a frenzy of punches and kicks to send the remaining imps to the ground. After the fight, the victor went down to one knee and took a couple of deep breaths to settle his heart. Suddenly, Zack heard the voices of more people climbing the fire escape. He hoped that they weren't more enemies because he didn't think that he could fight anymore.

"What are we going to do if the Holts get to the clue first, Dan?" a young girl whined.

"We'll think of something, Amy, " Dan replied.

"I sure would like to know who these glasses belong to," an older girl wondered.

"Beats me," Dan muttered.

"Whoever owns them won't be wearing them again," the girl declared.

Zack sighed and reached for the spare pair in his pocket.

"Oh, no!" Amy cried out. "There is a hole in the wall, but there is nothing in it!"

"I'll check on the roof," Dan offered just before he reached the top to find Zack standing in a sea of unconscious victims. "Duuude!"

"What is it?" a girl who was about fourteen demanded. "Oh, my gosh!"

"What's going on with you two?" another girl grunted while climbing onto to the roof causing Zack's eyes to bug out since she had spiky hair and a nose ring. "What in the world happened here?"

"Hey, you're… you're… Zack Morgan!" Dan gasped.

"How did you…" Zack started to ask.

_Of course he knows who you are thanks to Dr. Drakken._

"I'm Dan, this is my sister Amy, and this is Nellie," Dan introduced.

"Pleasure," Zack answered.

"How's it going, Ham?" Dan asked.

"As well as can be expected," Hamilton sighed.

" I never thought anyone would ever be able to do all of this to you guys!" Amy exclaimed in awe.

"I told dad that Zack took down Shego, but he wouldn't listen!" Hamilton complained.

"I have never known Eisenhower to listen to anyone but himself," Nellie put in. "Hey, that's some shiner you've got there!"

"Great!" Zack moaned while throwing his hands into the air. "Raya is going to kill me!"

"Did you happen to find anything strange on the way up here?" Dan wanted to know.

"Let's talk about this someplace else," Zack ordered. "I'm out of spare pairs of glasses."

"See you, Ham," Dan spoke.

"Bye," Hamilton grumbled.

* * *

><p>If Zack only knew who was watching him through a pair of binoculars in a nearby high rise, a cold shiver would have ran down his back. He would have rued the day that he had ever found the glass vial. For watching Zack from her penthouse apartment was a woman with brown hair. She was pretty, wearing the fanciest of dresses and pure evil. She was Isabel Kabra. Her children Ian and Natalie had also been watching with binoculars.<p>

"We're too late," Isabel grumbled. "That showoff has the vial."

"What are we going to do?" Ian asked. "You saw what he did to the Holts!"

"Maybe I should form a temporary alliance with Cora Wizard," Isabel sighed.

"Do you really want to?" Natalie squeaked.

"It won't be for long and if this young upstart gets in my way, he will truly know what pain is," Isabel promised


	3. Bugged

A tired and very thirsty Zack Morgan sat in a local Dairy Queen drinking a large root beer while his new friends waited for him to compose himself. Even though Dan and Amy were impatient to see the object Zack had found they knew that he would need time to recover after confronting a maniac like Eisenhower Holt. Eventually, Zack finished his drink and wiped his brow.

"Okay, could somebody tell me what is going on," Zack insisted.

"We don't know if we should tell you," Amy hesitated wearing a plain white shirt and black skirt.

"Why not?" Zack growled.

"It is very dangerous for an outsider to get involved in our business," Nellie objected.

"Listen, ah…" Zack spoke while waving his hand at Nellie since he had forgotten her name.

"Nellie," the girl with spiky hair answered while twiddling one of the ear buds around her neck which was connected to an Ipod.

"Thanks to those gorillas on the roof, I'm already involved!" Zack complained.

"We know…" Dan stuttered.

"Not only that, but I am now going to have to go home to my pregnant wife and…" Zack went on.

"Raya is pregnant?" a familiar voice behind Zack asked in shock.

Zack turned around and saw his friend Video. He knew that she could easily spoil the surprise for his friends if he didn't head off the situation. What he did not know was that half of his friends already knew.

"Listen, Video…" Zack started to warn.

"What happened to your eye?" Video squeaked.

"I ran into some trouble," Zack responded.

"Well, that's normal for you," Video laughed.

"Tell me about it!" Zack grunted. "Please don't go spreading it around. We haven't told our friends yet and I would hate for them to find out while watching television."

"Okay," Video agreed. "Are these some new friends of yours?"

"Video, this is Dan, Amy and Nellie," Zack introduced.

"Hello," the three youngsters called out together.

"Congratulations!" Video beamed while kissing Zack on the cheek.

"Thanks," Zack answered while watching Video wander towards her own table on the other side of the restaurant.

"What kind of name is Video?" Dan wondered.

"Dan!" Amy chided.

"It's just a nickname," Zack explained. "As I was saying, I am now going to have to go home to my pregnant wife and explain this black eye. I would like to have something more to tell her than we were fighting over a glass vial."

"I think we should tell him," Dan suggested.

"It's not a good idea!" Amy protested.

"Do you really think a man who can knock out Eisenhower Holt is going to take no for an answer?" Dan pressed.

"I guess not," Amy sighed.

"Before I begin, I would really like to know how you did it," Dan pleaded.

"I would too!" Nellie agreed.

"Did you see the movie Rocky?" Zack began.

"I saw it on television last week," Dan stated.

"Then you probably remember the scene where he's in the meat locker punching the side of beef," Zack guessed.

"That must have been what it was like for you," Amy reasoned.

"Nothing I did worked until I realized that even a brute like that would need oxygen to fight," Zack mused. "That is when I jumped on his back and rode the bull for the standard eight seconds."

"Woooow!" Dan whistled.

"Now do you care to tell me what is going on?" Zack asked impatiently.

"See, we are involved in this scavenger hunt," Dan began.

"I got a black eye because of a scavenger hunt!" Zack spat.

"It's a lot more serious than that!" Amy protested.

"Our family is split into several branches," Dan continued. "Each branch is trying to find a master serum. If the wrong people get it then the entire world will be in big trouble."

"How do I get mixed up in such things?" Zack mumbled with his arms folded.

"Did you find anything on the roof?" Amy wanted to know.

Zack took the vial out of his pocket and the people at the table passed it around.

"This must be the Tomas serum," Nellie guessed.

"I wish it told us where to go next," Amy complained.

"Let me see that!" Zack insisted because he saw something on the bottom of the vial.

"It says 'Go to the City Of Lights'" Zack read after taking the vial from Nellie.

"That sounds familiar," Dan mused.

"Any Jem fan knows that means Paris," Zack explained.

"Maybe you'd better let us keep that," Dan suggested.

"Since I'm going to be a father, I've got too much on my plate for…" Zack started to say.

"EVERYBODY RUN!" Amy screeched causing Zack's friends to quickly head for the door before he could hand over the vial.

Zack looked to his left and saw two large goons approaching him. If only he had looked behind him, he would have seen that the real danger was coming from a woman with brown hair who was watching Zack with an evil grin on her face. He definitely did not want to tangle with anymore goons today so he looked around for a distraction. He looked at Dan's tray filled with wrappers and a coke that was half empty. Zack threw the whole thing in the face of the goons and ran down a separate aisle. He got out just in time to see Nellie and company speeding away in their car.

A sickening feeling appeared in Zack's stomach when he realized the bad guys weren't following him. He risked a look back into the restaurant to see the goons leaving through the other exit. Even though he thought that was very strange he got into his car so he could face the music. When he was about halfway home, his thoughts started to race.

_That was too easy._

_Why didn't they follow me?_

_My Spidey sense is tingling._

_Oh, oh!_

_I think I figured it out._

Zack pulled off the road and crawled under his car for a good look. It didn't take long for the hero to find the solution to his mystery. He found a small blinking device that had the letter L on it. Zack crawled out from under his car and threw the device onto the ground.

"You lose, whoever you are!" Zack laughed into the night while stomping the bug with his foot.

A voice that was much too far away for Zack to hear screamed in frustration.


	4. Dropping A Bombshell

At six in the evening, Zack was about to arrive home to drive Raya to the party so they could tell their friends about the upcoming arrival. He puzzled over what exactly he should tell his pregnant wife when she saw his black eye. He knew just telling her that he was fighting some gorillas over a glass vial wasn't going to cut it. Should he tell her about Dan and Amy? Should he tell her about the worldwide scavenger hunt? Should he tell her that the world could be in trouble? Zack decided that he might tell Raya about his friends and the scavenger hunt, but the last thing was just too much to tell a pregnant woman. He came to his decision just as he arrived home to find Raya tapping her foot in front of the front door,

_Here we go!_

"Where have you been?" Raya asked impatiently.

"I got a little…" Zack tried to explain.

"WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?" Raya shrieked when she saw Zack's black eye.

"There was this idiot who made it quite clear that he didn't like me so I had to defend myself," Zack answered.

Raya sighed and shook her head with her arms folded across her chest.

"I wish that you could stay out of trouble!" Raya complained.

"I don't look for trouble," Zack refused. "Trouble finds me."

"Is that from Harry Potter too?" Raya asked with a hint of a smile on her face which made Zack breathe a little easier.

"As a matter of fact, it is," Zack confirmed.

"Care to explain?" Raya probed.

"It's a long story," her husband replied.

"We don't have time for long stories," Raya objected. "Look, I'll go back inside to get some ice for your eye and then I'll drive us to Starlight house. This is one party that I don't want to be late for."

After Raya went back in the house, Zack counted his blessings that he got through this sticky situation with a minimum of explanation. He then looked at the bulge in his pocket and frowned.

_I wish that I had never found this stupid thing!_

Raya brought the icepack with a kiss and they headed to Starlight house.

"I hope that we don't miss dinner," Raya whined when they got there.

"I'm sure we're fine," Zack murmured while knocking on the door.

"Care to explain?" Kimber quipped when she opened the door.

"Not really," Zack refused.

"Have it your way," Kimber gave in after hugging the newcomers.

Zack approached the dinner table to find a large salad along with hamburgers and hotdogs.

"Get into trouble again?" Pizzazz needled with a grin.

"Yes, I did," Zack sighed since he knew that he would have a field a lot more questions before the night was over.

"Was it Shego out for revenge?" Roxy pressed.

"I wish it had been," Zack grumbled.

"Oh, my!" Jerrica gasped with her hand over her mouth.

"Worse than Shego?" Shana squeaked.

"I'm afraid so," Zack confirmed as he sat at the table to notice Pizzazz winking at him.

"Where's Aja?" Zack asked.

"She's upstairs dealing with a problem of our own," Jerrica confided.

"What…" Zack started to ask.

"You are going to need glasses to see the board at school!" Aja ordered.

"But glasses will make me look stupid!" Ashley complained.

Zack slapped the table in disgust and headed for the stairs.

"Someone's in trouble!" Pizzazz laughed.

"What did you say?" Zack barked when he appeared in front of the stairs.

Ashley gasped loudly and slapped her hands over her mouth while blushing as red as she had ever done before.

"You're on your own," Aja giggled while patting Ashley on the shoulder and stepping back.

"So glasses make you look stupid?" Zack growled with his arms folded.

"I… uh…" Ashley choked.

"Do I look stupid?" Zack demanded.

"No, sir," Ashley replied.

"Then, why do you think you will look stupid?" Zack probed.

"I don't know," Ashley sighed.

"Whoever said that clothes make the man was wrong," Zack declared. "A man's choices make the man."

"Okay," Ashley agreed.

"I suggest that you think about that," Zack suggested before returning to the table.

"Are you okay?" Jerrica asked while Ashley was walking to a separate dining room to eat with the other girls.

"Yes," Ashley responded before leaving.

"I like how you handled that," Raya complimented when Zack sat down.

"So do I," Stormer agreed.

The dinner progressed without incident. The impending bombshell that they were going to drop was all Zack and Raya could think about. Eventually, Zack remembered the wink Pizzazz had given him and he wondered if she already knew.

After dinner was finished, everyone split into two groups. One group played Scrabble and one group played Monopoly. Zack was content just helping Raya watch for the letters that she needed to drop her bombshell. Aja, Jetta, and Jerrica were also playing. Pizzazz was watching from behind the couch because she wanted to see if her theory was correct. Zack was frustrated in the first round because his wife hadn't drawn any of the necessary letters. It took four rounds for Raya to draw two B's and a Y.

_All we need is for someone to play an A._

Zack was happy when Kimber played the word 'plant'. However, it was Aja's turn and she was starting to place a word on the necessary letter.

"Uh, Aja, could you please use a different letter?" Zack pleaded.

"Why?" Aja responded with an eyebrow raised.

"I can't say," Zack hedged while Pizzazz was grinning from ear to ear.

"Okay," Aja sighed while playing the word 'donut'. "It's your turn, Raya."

"First, I need everyone else to be here," Raya ordered.

The happy couple waited for Jerrica to break up the Monopoly game and bring everyone else into the room.

"What's going on, Raya?" Shana demanded.

Raya calmly spelled out her word causing several people to gasp and Pizzazz to high five Stormer,

"Is this your way of telling us something?" Kimber asked in a voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes, I'm having one!" Raya cried out while standing up.

A loud chorus of cheering, crying and hugging erupted. The Holograms got to Raya first so Zack started with the Misfits. After that, they switched hugging partners.

"Did you know?" Zack asked Pizzazz.

"You never cared what game we played before!" Pizzazz cried out.

* * *

><p>The next day…<p>

"This is Lin-Z reporting with wonderful news. Former Hologram security guard Zack Morgan and drummer Raya Morgan are expecting their first child. The couple have been reported to have told their friends by playing a Scrabble game. Their friends are extremely happy because of this special occasion."

"Hm…" Isabel Kabra mused after scratching her chin after turning off the television.

"How are we going to get the vial from Zack Morgan?" Natalie Kabra asked.

"I think we should throw a party for his friends," Isabel answered. "We can invite his wife too."

"We don't want to hurt her!" Ian Kabra protested. "She's pregnant!"

Isabel responded by smacking her own son over his right eye.

"Don't you ever talk back to me!" Isabel shrieked.

"Yes, mother," Ian gave in.


	5. Casing The Joint

Zack woke up in his bed that night next to Raya at four in the morning. Every time he saw Raya during the night, he couldn't help but watch her sleep. Her skin tone and the movement of her body while breathing captivated him. His desire mounted with each rise and fall of his wife's chest. He only wished that she would wake up so that maybe Raya could satisfy his desire. As if someone had heard his silent wish, Raya woke up and yawned.

"What time is it?" Raya murmured sleepily.

"It's four," Zack answered while running his fingers through his wife's hair.

"Oh, oh!" Raya laughed while waking up completely. "I know that look. Well, come here then."

Zack obliged Raya by wrapping his arms around her and kissing her deeply. He then reached for the top button of her nightgown.

"Are you still going to want to do this with me after I gain all the weight?" Raya asked with a worried look on her face.

"Of course I will!" Zack promised. "I love you!"

"I know that I won't be much to look at," Raya sighed.

"You are beautiful!" Zack protested. "You always will be in my eyes!"

"That's just what I wanted to hear," Raya answered with a kiss while Zack continued to unbutton her nightgown.

* * *

><p>After Zack got dressed for work and ate breakfast, the phone rang.<p>

"Hello?" Zack answered.

"Remember me?" a familiar voice spoke.

"It's good to hear from you again, Kim," Zack happily spoke.

"I heard the news," Kim declared. "Congratulations!"

"Thanks," Zack replied.

"Guess what?" Kim spoke mischievously.

"What?" Zack answered.

"I'm pregnant too!" Kim revealed. "I just found out yesterday."

"That's great!" Zack cheered.

"What's going on?" Raya demanded.

"Kim's pregnant too," Zack told her.

"Wonderful!" Raya cried out.

"Get into trouble lately?" Kim probed.

"Well, I did have to fight this big bruiser who gave me a black eye," Zack answered.

"You don't say," Kim sighed.

"Ever hear of a man named Eisenhower Holt?" Zack wanted to know.

"I can't say that I have," Kim admitted.

"I'm glad because this guy makes fighting Shego seem like a cakewalk," Zack declared.

"Did you get him?" Kim probed.

"Yes, but it wasn't easy," Zack said.

"Let me talk to Raya," Kim ordered. "We future mothers need to catch up."

"I'm just about to head for work so I'll let you talk with her as soon as I say goodbye," Zack answered.

"Okay," Kim agreed just as Zack set down the phone.

Zack wrapped Raya in a warm hug and kissed her deeply.

"You are such a great kisser!" Raya cooed.

"Only because you are," Zack replied.

"Please stay out of trouble!" Raya insisted.

"I'll try, but knowing my luck, that's all I can promise you," Zack confessed.

"I know," Raya sighed.

"Goodbye mommy," Zack spoke while heading for the door.

"Bye," Raya answered while picking up the phone.

Zack got in his car and drove to work. Upon arriving, he stashed the vial in his glove compartment and locked the door. He only wished that he had been able to give the vial to Dan and Amy which would have ended his troubles. When he locked his car and got out, he started the first of his adult classes. The adult classes were of course more strenuous than the classes for children. Before starting the children's class, he went out for a walk and saw Ashley, Diedre, Becky, Lela, and Teri waiting at the front door.

"We heard," Deidre declared while approaching Zack. "We are all happy for you!"

"Thank you," Zack replied as all five girls lined up to hug him.

"You must be happy," Ashley guessed.

"Yes, I am," Zack replied. "When are you getting your glasses?"

"Rio will take me to get them after class," Ashley revealed.

"Remember what I said," Zack ordered.

"I will," Ashley promised.

Ashley was just about to follow the girls inside, but she hesitated and looked back at Zack.

"What's wrong?" Zack asked.

"I sure would hate to see the person who could give you a black eye," Ashley mused.

"You've got that right!" Zack agreed.

Inside the class, Zack led his class through a variety of stretches to warm up. He then had them practice some standard punches and kicks. Towards the end of class, he took everyone into the woods where he would try to sneak up on people. This was an exercise to teach his class to be alert. When he got back inside, his sensei informed Zack that he had a phone call.

"Hello?" Zack asked after taking the phone.

"Can you come over?" Pizzazz asked.

"Sure," Zack agreed.

"H-have you found anything odd like a vial recently?" Pizzazz stuttered.

"Something is wrong?" Zack barked with a deep frown on his face.

"You should see for yourself," Pizzazz insisted.

"I'll be right there," Zack promised.

"Bring the vial," Pizzazz ordered.

Zack hung up the phone and shook his head because he knew that he was about to get into some more trouble. He knew that Raya would mad if she found out. He spent the whole drive to Misfit Manor planning his next course of action. Upon arriving, he parked his car in the woods so no one in the mansion would see him. Zack put the vial in his pocket in case he needed it. He was afraid that an alarm would sound if he approached. He noticed that there were no cameras protecting the west wall so that would have to be his point of entry. When he was done casing the joint, he stared at the front of the mansion while racking his brain for ideas. Suddenly, a hand grabbed his right shoulder.


	6. We're Off To See The Wizards

Just before he was about to leave work at the dojo, Pizzazz called Zack Morgan and asked him to stop by for a visit. Zack knew something was wrong because Pizzazz asked him to bring the vial he had recently found. He knew that he was about to confront more of Amy and Dan's enemies. Upon arriving at Misfit Manor, Zack spent some time casing the joint to plan his attack. He knew that he could avoid the security cameras by approaching the west wall.

He was trying to figure a way past the alarms when a hand grasped his right shoulder. Zack didn't know who the hand belonged to, but he knew that it was best to act now and find out who the person was later. He quickly reached behind him to grab the arm of the attacker. He flung the idiot over his shoulder.

"HEY!" the attacker screamed as he hit the ground.

Zack was about to punch his assailant in the face when he discovered that it was only Riot.

"Don't do that!" Zack complained. "You scared me!"

"I'll never make that mistake again," Riot grunted while getting up and dusting himself off.

Even though Zack did not care about him very much, he knew that he was going to have to stifle his feelings to get the information that he needed.

"What's going on?" Zack demanded.

"I was out for a walk and I saw three people sneaking onto the grounds so I followed them," Riot began.

"Go on," Zack pressed.

"The youngest was dressed as a gangster," Riot declared. "The older man was dressed in fancy clothes and holding a Blackberry. I heard him calling the woman Cora."

"Jonah Wizard!" Zack barked mostly to himself.

Back in the days when Zack was still a security guard, Jerrica was trying to sign more acts to her label. One of these acts was a man named Jonah Wizard who dressed in gangster clothes. He was just about to sign with Jerrica when he disappeared mysteriously. Zack now knew that Jonah disappeared because of the clue hunt Amy and Dan were on. Zack was glad that Jonah didn't sign with Jerrica because he considered him to be every bit as conceited as Riot was.

"What?" Riot asked.

"He's some singer Jerrica tried to sign once," Zack replied. "How did they get in without setting off the alarm?"

"The father was somehow able to disable it with his Blackberry, but you can bet that it's back on so you'll set it off," Riot revealed. "There is something else you should know. Cora is a bit off kilter and has a wicked looking knife."

"Thanks for the info," Zack acknowledged.

"Are you going in by yourself?" Riot asked with an eyebrow raised.

"It's either that or wait for Superman to show up," Zack quipped.

"How are you going to get in without setting off the alarm?" Riot probed.

"I don't know," Zack replied when he heard a plaintive whine approaching through the open front gate. Zack looked and saw Pizzazz's guard Doberman Samson approaching.

"Hello, Samson," Zack greeted. "Sorry, I can't play right now, but I…"

"Now what?" Riot spoke.

"Samson, REPORT!" Zack ordered loudly causing Samson to go into a barking fit and run towards the mansion.

"YOU IDIOT!" Riot screamed. "That dumb dog will set off the alarm!"

"That's what I want!" Zack replied while running into the woods.

"I'll never understand him," Riot muttered to himself.

Zack approached the west wall just as deafening sirens filled the grounds. He waited a few seconds for the Wizards to see that it was only the dog that had set off the alarm and then he climbed the wall. He crawled towards the back of the mansion and heard voices coming from an open window.

"What's going on, yo?" a voice who was obviously Jonah asked.

"It's just a dumb dog," Cora growled with her back to the window. "Turn off the alarm, Broderick."

Just as the alarm went silent, Zack crawled soundlessly towards the window. He then jumped up with both of his fists held together.

"SURPRISE!" Zack hollered while bringing the makeshift club on the woman's neck.

The woman slumped unconscious onto the table and the knife landed on the floor. Broderick Wizard was about to try and get it from the other side of the room when Zack vaulted through the open window. Zack easily folded his opponent with a punch to the face and a kick.

"Do you want some trouble too, Jonah?" Zack challenged while throwing the knife out the window.

"I didn't want to be here, homey," Jonah objected. "Hey, you know my name? That's great, yo."

"Just because I know you doesn't mean I like you," Zack snorted.

"Why you hatin, player?" Jonah whined.

Zack just ignored Jonah so if he could see if the Misfits were okay.

"Thank you!" Pizzazz cried out with a hug.

"It's a good thing you taught me the commands for your dog," Zack said.

"So that's how you got in," Pizzazz sniffed.

"Everyone okay?" Zack asked.

"Yes, we…" Stormer answered when the phone rang.

"Hello?" Pizzazz asked. "Yes, Ashley. He's here. Calm down! It's going to be okay! Okay, here he is!"

Zack took the phone with a deep frown on his face.

"Yes, Ashley?" Zack squeaked.

"You've got to get down here now! A really mean woman and a couple of hired goons broke in and kidnapped the Holograms! She said that we should give you something!"

"I'll be right there!" Zack barked while hanging up the phone.

Zack dialed his own number with a doomed look on his face because he knew what he would find. He let the phone ring ten times but hung up because Raya did not answer.

"What's going on?" Jetta asked.

"Do you have some rope?" Zack wanted to know.

"Yes," Jetta answered.

"Tie up these idiots until you can get some help," Zack ordered. "I'm going to be busy for a while."


	7. Zack Morgan AKA Mongoose

Zack Morgan drove to Starlight House with anger filling every part of his body. He had just saved the Misfits from idiots involved in a weird clue hunt where the prize could very well be world domination. While he was saving the Misfits, a separate group of monsters were busy kidnapping not only the Holograms but his pregnant wife as well. Zack resolved that these people would pay whoever they were.

Zack entered Starlight House to find it in a big mess. Couch cushions and papers were littered all over the floor. All of the girls were in a state of panic and a tired Rio was cleaning up the mess.

"It's about time you showed up!" Rio complained.

"I've been busy!" Zack insisted.

"Zack!" Ashley cried out while running to hug Zack wearing her new wire frames.

"What do you have for me?" Zack asked.

Ashley handed Zack two objects. One of them was a strange computer screen and the other looked like a blue credit card. Because of his honeymoon in a penthouse room, Zack could tell that the card was actually an access key. Zack sat at a round table and propped the computer screen on a napkin holder. He then turned it on to reveal the face of an evil witch.

"Greetings, Zack Morgan," the woman seated at a rectangular table greeted with a fake smile.

"Who are you?" Zack snapped with all of the girls huddled behind him.

"Please forgive my manners," the woman went on with a stare that sent a shiver down Zack's spine. "My name is Isabel Kabra and you have something that belongs to me."

"Where… is… my… family?" Zack growled.

"They are here with me having a pleasant dinner," Isabel answered as the focus of Zack's screen shifted to show that the Holograms were indeed at the table. "They are waiting to see you."

Zack told tell a number of things as the focus of the screen slowly shifted back to Isabel. He could definitely tell that no one was happy to be seated at that particular table. He could tell that Jerrica was in her Jem disguise. He could tell that Raya was seated at the far right. Finally, he could see that Isabel was also holding Dan, Amy, and Nellie hostage.

"Don't give her the vial!" Dan shouted.

"What do you want?" Zack asked with the look of death on his face.

"I believe that you know what I want," Isabel snorted. "I am in the penthouse at the Excelsior Hotel. As I understand it, it is near where you work. Do you know where it is?"

"Yeah, I do," Zack replied.

"Make sure you come alone," Isabel ordered. "I would be extremely disappointed if…"

"I know how the game is played!" Zack growled.

"Don't forget to bring the vial," Isabel further instructed.

"Oh, I'll BRING IT all right!" Zack spat.

"I'm sure you will," Isabel answered. "You have one hour. Goodbye."

The screen went blank and Zack got up from his chair with a look of determination on his face. He knew that this was going to be the most important and toughest fight of his life. He was just about to run out the door when he looked back at Ashley.

"You look nice," Zack complimented her.

"Thanks," Ashley answered

"Hey, Zack!" Rio called out just before Zack could get into his car.

"What?" Zack answered impatiently.

"What are you're chances?" Rio wanted to know.

"This woman is a soulless monster and I would rather fight a hundred Shegos than her," Zack answered.

"Be careful and bring everyone back," Rio ordered.

"You got it," Zack promised while climbing in his car.

Don't look now here comes trouble (Trouble)  
>Here comes trouble headin' my way (Trouble)<br>With a jolt here comes trouble (Trouble)  
>Turnin' my blue skies to grey<p>

I feel Trouble, Trouble, Trouble  
>I feel Trouble, Trouble, Trouble<br>Comin' my way

I feel good, but here comes trouble (Trouble)  
>Here comes trouble draggin' me down (Trouble)<br>With a jump here comes trouble (Trouble)  
>Turnin' my smile to a frown<p>

I feel Trouble, Trouble, Trouble  
>I feel Trouble, Trouble, Trouble<br>Comin' my way  
>I feel Trouble, Trouble, Trouble<br>I feel Trouble, Trouble, Trouble  
>Comin' my way<br>(I feel trouble, Trouble, Trouble, Trouble, I feel trouble)

Zack drove to town at a steady pace because he knew that he did not have time to get any speeding tickets. He knew that his family was counting on him. Zack made a promise to himself that he would not lose this fight. He was much to close to having all of his dreams fulfilled to lose. The thought that was most prevalent in his mind was that his chance to hear the words "I love you, daddy!" was in jeopardy. He got out of car two blocks away so that he would be harder to spot.

When he entered the hotel, it was much too quiet for Zack's taste. He saw that one of the elevators led up to the penthouse and that there was a staircase next to it. He was just about to put his card in the slot when he decided that Isabel Kabra would be expecting him to take the elevator. Zack threw open the door to the stairs and a look of shock appeared on his face. A boy and a girl with brown hair were waiting for him. What was scary to Zack was that the boy had a strange dart gun pointed at his chest.

"Mom thought that you would take the stairs, Zack Morgan," the boy chortled. "She wants to talk to you."

"I bet she does," Zack snorted.

Zack did the only thing that he could do. He held up his hands and surrendered while Natalie called her mother on her cell phone to let her know that they had their prisoner.

* * *

><p>In the penthouse, Isabel Kabra surveyed her captives with her lackeys seated at a card table. She of course had a very cold stare for Dan, Amy, and Nellie. She gave the majority of her attention to Raya.<p>

"So you must be Zack Morgan's lovely wife," Isabel probed.

"What of it?" Raya answered defiantly.

"You must be looking forward to the big day," Isabel guessed.

"Of course I am!" Raya snapped.

"There's something you should know," Aja spoke.

"What?" Isabel demanded.

"People who mess with us tend to get hurt," Shana put out.

"Is that so?" Isabel asked with very little concern.

Lastly, Isabel fixed Jem with a cold and maniacal stare. Jem could not help but blink and look away. She wondered why Isabel was treating her like this.

* * *

><p>"Put your hands down!" the boy insisted as the trio climbed the stairs. "You look silly!"<p>

"Might I have the pleasure of your names?" Zack asked.

"I'm Ian and this is my sister Natalie," Ian growled.

Zack racked his brain for a way out of his current dilemma. If only he had a bargaining chip. Zack finally noticed Ian's right eye and knew that he had it.

"That's a nasty black eye you've got there," Zack mentioned.

"What of it?" Ian grumbled.

"I got mine from Eisenhower Holt," Zack declared.

"We know," Ian answered. "We were watching through binoculars. That was impressive display you put on."

"Did Isabel give you that black eye?" Zack wanted to know.

"W-what do you know about it?" Ian stuttered.

"My mother never treated me like that," Zack mused while continuing to climb the stairs.

"She never hit you?" Natalie squeaked.

"Well, she did spank me a few times, but I can assure you that it never went beyond that," Zack answered.

"You don't know anything!" Ian wavered

"My mother read stories to me and hugged me after I had bad dreams," Zack related. "Has your mother ever done that for you?"

"My mother…" Ian whispered.

"You don't have a mother," Zack interrupted. "Face it. You two are nothing but tools to her and she will get rid of you when she gets tired of you."

Zack sensed trouble because Ian and Natalie suddenly stopped talking. He was getting ready for the end when he heard footsteps running away from him. Zack turned around and saw Ian and Natalie about to exit the stairwell. He continued his journey up the stairs with a smile on his face because he knew that he had solved one of his problems. When he got to the top of the stairs, he put up his hands to fool Isabel Kabra into thinking that he was still a prisoner and opened the door.

"Welcome, Zack Morgan," Isabel greeted. "Bring him in, Ian."

"Ian isn't here!" Zack laughed with an evil smile on his face.

Zack began to charge the witch when two brutes grabbed his arms to stop him. The hero struggled valiantly to escape.

"Please try to be civil," Isabel suggested from her chair.

"Fine," Zack agreed to get the goons to let him go. Zack noticed that most of the furniture of the room was pushed against the walls.

Unbeknownst to Isabel, Zack wasn't really trying to escape. He was merely testing the strength of the hired help.

_These clowns are definitely not as strong as Eisenhower Holt._

_I could take them easily._

"What have you done with my children?" Isabel asked.

What was totally appalling to Zack was that he could tell by the way she asked the question that she didn't care what the answer was.

"I didn't do anything with them," Zack answered. "I merely gave them a better offer."

"I'm going to have to talk with them about that," Isabel murmured.

"I just bet you will!" Zack spat.

"I thought that you would be more comfortable sitting next to your pregnant wife," Isabel offered while motioning to the opposite end of the table.

"How kind of you!" Zack grumbled.

"Are you okay?" Zack asked when he ran to her.

"Yes," Raya answered.

"I love you so much!" Zack cried out with a hug.

"I love you!" Raya echoed.

"Is everyone else okay?" Zack asked almost as an afterthought.

"We're fine," Kimber answered.

"Now that you know everyone is okay, why don't you sit down?" Isabel suggested impatiently.

When Zack sat down, he noticed that all of the captives were shackled to their chairs and the chairs were bolted to the floor.

"Do you plan on putting a shackle on me too?" Zack asked loudly.

"Goodness, no," Isabel replied. "I thought that you could provide me with some entertainment during dinner."

"Jem is usually the singer of the group so what do you want me to do?" Zack wondered. "Dance or tell jokes?"

"You have a bit of a mouth," Isabel criticized.

"Only when my family is in trouble!" Zack snapped.

"Give me the vial and I will let everyone go," Isabel promised causing Zack to laugh loudly.

"What is so funny?" Isabel demanded.

"Lady, you must truly think that I'm stupid!" Zack chortled. "You are expecting me to hand over the vial and act surprised when you double cross me."

"What do you suggest?" Isabel asked.

"Release my family or I'll turn you into mulch!" Zack threatened.

"That's not very civil," Isabel suggested with an eyebrow raised.

"My parents told me never to hit a lady, but I can tell that you are no lady!" Zack replied with his arms folded.

"I should warn you that I am skilled in Karate as well," Isabel declared.

"If that's true, then what's with the hired help?" Zack questioned.

"Boris and Ivan protect me," Isabel replied. "Before this goes any further, I must know how you found the tracking device that I put on your car."

"Your gorillas made it much to easy for me to get away," Zack put out.

"Ah," Isabel sighed just as Zack started staring at her. "Now what's wrong?"

"Did anyone ever tell you that you look like Bellatrix Lestrange?" Zack wanted to know.

"No, but I am familiar with the character," Isabel answered.

"I think that is about time for me to introduce you to Molly Weasley!" Zack growled while pointing at his fist.

"Boris, Ivan, this man is being rude," Isabel declared. "Please chastise him briefly."

"I think dinner is over," Zack mused as the goons approached him.

During a fight that wasn't really worth mentioning, Zack went into a flurry of punches and kicks to take down the gorillas.

"I guess that I'll have to take care of this myself," Isabel complained while getting up to confront Zack.

Zack and Isabel stalked each other in a circle to begin the fight.

"I hear that you are very good," Isabel commented. "I hope that you don't disappoint me."

"I'll try not to," Zack quipped.

"If you do, I could always have a lovely conversation with your wife," Isabel threatened.

"Stay away from her!" Zack ordered.

"Then again, I could always have a talk with Jerrica Benton over there," Isabel suggested.

"What…" Zack gasped.

Isabel Kabra took advantage of Zack's distracted state and kicked him in the chest to send him crashing into the table. Spots then danced in front of eyes for a second.

"NO!" Raya screamed.

"It's amazing the places you can get into with a computer these days," Isabel gloated while charging Zack with both of her fists together in an effort to cave his skull in.

Zack reached above the table and grabbed a silver lid that was over lobster. He used it to block Isabel's attack.

"OUCH!" Isabel screamed just before Zack bashed the lid into her face.

Zack kicked Isabel in the stomach but Isabel punched his normal eye to again send his glasses flying off.

"I bet that hurt," Isabel gloated.

"At least they'll match now," Zack quipped.

Isabel charged Zack and he flung her into the table.

"Now we're even!" Zack laughed.

Isabel looked at Zack with a wicked look on her face and picked up a steak knife.

"You don't want to do that!" Zack barked while taking three giant steps back.

"Oh, but I do," Isabel growled while running at Zack.

The world seemed to slow down for the hero. He could see the gleam of the knife coming towards him. Zack turned sideways and threw her into the air by grabbing her arm. Isabel landed with a sickening thud and did not get back up. When the hero kicked the villain over, he found the knife lodged in her heart and Isabel had a blank stare on her face.

"Oh, no!" Zack cried out with tears in his eyes. "I didn't want to do that!"

"It's self defense!" Kimber cried out. "You have witnesses!"

"I don't care about that!" Zack whined.

"Honey, please try to hold it together long enough to save us!" Raya objected.

"The key is in her right pocket," Amy declared.

Zack cringed at the prospect of having to rifle through the pockets of a dead woman. He of course freed Raya first. She rewarded him with a long kiss.

"Raya, please try to hold off the lovey-dovey stuff long enough for him to free the rest of us!" Kimber protested.

"Sorry," Raya apologized.

After the police questioned everyone involved and took the body away, Zack rode the elevator back down to the lobby with his friends and family.

"Here, take it!" Zack cried out while handing the vial to Dan. "I am sick and tired of your stupid clue hunt!"

"Honey, please try to calm down!" Raya pleaded.

"Sorry," Zack murmured.

"How did you escape from Ian and Natalie?" Dan probed.

"I simply told them about my mother," Zack revealed.

"What I want to know is how are we going to keep anybody else from learning our secret?" Aja cried out.

"I know someone who can help, but we'll have to let him in on it," Zack offered.

"Who?" Jem wanted to know.

"His name is Wade," Zack answered.

"Isn't he the boy who was on Kim's communicator?" Raya questioned.

"If anyone can fix our problem, he can," Zack spoke. "I can get in touch with him through Kim."

"I don't know…" Jem mused.

"You have two choices," Zack insisted. "You can either let Wade in on it or you can let another bad guy like Isabel Kabra find out."

"I see your point," Jem gave in. "Okay, I trust your judgment."

"I'll call Rio to pick us up," Kimber offered when everyone got out of the elevator.

"I want to talk to my husband alone," Raya replied while everyone else left.

"What is it?" Zack asked.

"I want you to know that I think that it is very noble to be sorry about what happened to that monster up there when a lesser person would be glad she's dead," Raya spoke in awe.

"I'm glad you think so," Zack answered.

"In fact…" Raya said while grabbing Zack's shirt and giving him a kiss that made him feel like he was going to melt. "I find it a big turn on and when I get you home, you'll find out how much of a turn on I find it."

"Oh, my!" Zack cried out.

* * *

><p>Two weeks later, the doorbell rang at Starlight house and Zack went to the door to find a boy wearing a blue shirt and holding a black briefcase.<p>

"Hi, Wade," Zack called out.

"It sure is good to get out of my room for a change!" Wade declared.

"I bet," Zack answered.

"I hear that you got into some trouble recently," Wade put in.

"Don't remind me!" Zack snapped.

"Where's the patient?" Wade wanted to know.

"I don't want you telling anyone what you're about to see, not even Kim!" Zack ordered.

"You got it," Wade agreed.

"You must be Wade," Jerrica spoke while coming over to shake his hand. "My name is Jerrica."

"Hello," Wade answered.

"Follow me," Jerrica commanded while leading Wade into the secret room.

AN: Lily, have you read any 39 Clues books? If not, I would strongly recommend them to you. For everyone else, get ready for the last chapter: Baby Morgan.


	8. Baby Morgan

Zack Morgan never saw his friends Dan and Amy again ever that fateful night. He couldn't bring himself to talk with them because he blamed himself for the death of Isabel Kabra even though it had been her own fault. Dan and Amy had to leave for Paris anyway to continue the clue hunt. Zack didn't want anything to do with the clue hunt because he was about to become a father.

* * *

><p>Five months:<p>

Even though Zack Morgan was very happy that he was going to be a father, he had a minor problem. He had tried to go to a Le Mans class with Raya, but he had to run to the bathroom to throw up when they showed a video on child birth. He thought that if he took a copy of the video home that he would get used to it but it was not met to be. The couple agreed that Zack would stay in the waiting room and summon family and friends to the hospital. He felt guilty because he would not be with his wife during this most crucial time.

One day, Zack had come home from his job as a Marital Arts instructor. Raya had not come home from her appointment at the doctor to check on the health of her baby. Zack turned on the television but he wasn't able to pay much attention to it because he was anxious for his wife to get home. He jumped up to greet her when she finally did get home. She was definitely showing the signs of her pregnancy, but she still looked as beautiful to Zack as she did when he first met her.

"How is the baby?" Zack cried out while running to hug his wife.

"The baby is fine," Raya replied with a kiss.

"I'm glad," Zack declared while kissing Raya's neck. The closer Raya got to her due date, the more attention Zack lavished on her.

"I have a present for you," Raya spoke while taking a gift wrapped package from her purse. "Let's sit on the couch."

"The last time that you gave me a present like this, it was to tell me that you were pregnant," Zack remembered while tearing the paper.

"Open it!" Raya ordered anxiously.

Zack finally opened the box and took and took out a stethoscope.

"Why are you giving me this?" Zack wondered.

"I want to show you something," Raya answered while plugging the gift into her husband's ears.

Raya lifted the bottom of her shirt to reveal her swollen belly and put the round end of the stethoscope over her womb.

"The baby's heartbeat!" Zack gasped.

"Do you like your present?" Raya wanted to know.

"You bet I do!" Zack answered happily. He was just about to hug Raya when she grabbed her stomach.

"Ooh!" Raya cried.

"What's wrong?" Zack probed with a worried expression on his face.

"The baby kicked me!" Raya replied with a big grin on her face.

"Is this the first time?" Zack asked.

"Yes," Raya replied while grabbing her husband causing a make out session on the couch.

* * *

><p>Eight months:<p>

Raya lay on the couch with her hormones in mess. She was crying for reasons that she did not understand. Zack's mother Cynthia was seated in a chair next to Raya and holding her as if she was her daughter.

"I appreciate you coming," Raya sobbed. "My parents aren't home."

"Of course I came!" Cynthia answered. "I think of you as my daughter."

"That's so nice of you to say," Raya said. "Now I know where Zack got his family values from."

"I'm home!" Zack sang out when he entered the house.

"Hi, honey!" Cynthia greeted.

"Are you okay?" Zack asked when he saw the tears in his wife's eyes.

"I guess so," Raya whispered.

"I'll fix dinner," Cynthia offered while heading into the kitchen.

Zack gave Raya a quick kiss and then followed his mother into the kitchen. He sat at the table with a frown on his face.

"What's wrong?" Zack's mother wondered.

"I'm worried about Raya," Zack complained.

"Lots of women have babies," Cynthia commented.

"It's hard for me to see Raya like this," Zack murmured.

"I know," Cynthia replied while putting her hand on Zack's shoulder.

"Can I help with dinner?" Zack questioned.

"If you want to help me, then go hug my daughter," Cynthia insisted. "I think that she could use one."

Zack quickly left the kitchen to follow his mother's instructions. He threw his arms around Raya and squeezed.

"Rub my back?" Raya pleaded.

"Of course!" Zack agreed while helping his wife sit up on the couch.

Zack had been rubbing Raya's back for quite a while when the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" Cynthia insisted while rushing to the door to find Jerrica with a bouquet of flowers. "Hello, Jerrica."

"Hello, Cynthia," Jerrica greeted. "I just stopped by to give Raya this."

"Would you like to stay for dinner?" Cynthia offered.

"If you're sure that you have enough," Jerrica answered.

"Of course!" Cynthia confirmed.

"How are you, Raya?" Jerrica asked with a look of concern while handing Raya the flowers.

"As well as can be expected," Raya sighed with Zack still rubbing her back. "How are things at Starlight?"

"Fine, except a lot of the girls are asking us where babies come from," Jerrica answered with a grim smile.

* * *

><p>Showtime…<p>

Raya was now one week past her due date. Her bag was packed and sitting next to the front door.

"Honey, please rub my feet," Raya requested.

"Of course!" Zack answered while taking off Raya's slippers.

Raya was thoroughly enjoying Zack's lavish treatment when the phone rang.

"Hello?" Zack asked.

"Hi, Zack," Pizzazz greeted. "May I talk with Raya?"

"It's Pizzazz," Zack revealed while handing Raya the phone.

"Hi, Pizzazz," Raya called out just as Zack went back to rubbing her feet.

"How are you?" Pizzazz questioned.

"I wish this baby would come out already!" Raya complained.

"I can imagine!" Pizzazz laughed.

"It's a week late!" Raya grumbled.

"What do they know?" Pizzazz giggled. "Is there anything I can do?"

"No, but thanks anyway," Raya refused while motioning for Zack to start rubbing her back.

"Bye," Pizzazz spoke causing both parties to hang up the phone.

Raya closed her eyes for fifteen minutes to relax while fully enjoying Zack's attention. She contemplated what it was going to be like to be a parent. At the end of fifteen minutes, Raya opened her eyes.

"Honey, could you get me some milk?" Raya pleaded.

Zack smiled and headed for the kitchen. He opened the white refrigerator and started the pour the milk. Suddenly a loud noise caused him to drop both the carton and the glass causing the glass to break and milk to splatter all over the floor.

"OH MY GOSH!" Raya screamed.

"Raya?" Zack gasped while running into the living room.

"It's time!" Raya cried out with tears in her eyes.

"Is this the first one?" Zack worriedly asked while looking at his watch.

"Yes," Raya squeaked.

Zack alerted the hospital over the phone that they were coming. He then carefully helped Raya up and lugged her bag into the trunk. Upon arriving, Zack helped Raya check into her room and then went to the waiting room to call everyone. Soon after, the waiting room was filled with both sets of parents, the Holograms, and the Misfits. Zack was completely on edge when a tray hit the floor outside causing him to jump over the moon.

"Easy, Zack," Jerrica warned.

"I wish that I could be in there with Raya!" Zack whined.

"You wouldn't be much help to her if you fainted and hit your head on something," Kimber consoled.

"Zack, why don't you come over and play some cards with us?" Pizzazz offered while taking a deck out of her pocket.

"I don't think that I'd be very good at cards right now," Zack sighed.

"It will help take your mind off things," Cynthia urged.

Zack reluctantly headed for the Misfits table just as Jetta gave up her seat.

"What would you like to play?" Pizzazz wondered.

"How about Hearts?" Zack put out.

"Fine," Pizzazz agreed while dealing the cards. "There is something that I've always wanted to ask you."

"What?" Zack probed.

"Why did you become so interested in Karate?" Pizzazz questioned.

"I was the kid in school that all of the bullies picked on," Zack revealed.

"You?" Aja spat.

"I didn't always have a black belt," Zack laughed. "I eventually got tired of hiding behind my teacher so I decided to do something about it."

"You did a good job!" Roxy complimented.

"I remember when we took the girls to see the Tarzaan movie," Zack mused. "The first time that I heard the song Son Of Man, I thought that it was about me."

After a hour, Zack became distracted.

"What's wrong?" Stormer asked.

"The next time I see Raya, I'll be a father," Zack answered.

"I know that you'll be a great father because of how you handled Ashley's problem with glasses," Stormer suggested.

"Who did the girls run to when they had bad dreams?" Kimber asked.

"Who did they ask to chase monsters out of their closets?" Aja added.

"Who was the best at helping them with their homework?" Shana went on.

"Who did they most want to read stories to them?" Jerrica finished.

"You have something that your mother and I didn't have when we had you," Chad declared. "Experience."

After every hour, the card players switched between Hearts and Spades and Jetta took turns with Roxy. After ten hours, a very tired Zack went to the restroom. He washed his hands and then set his glasses down so he could splash some water in his face to try and wake up. After he put his glasses back on, he went back into the waiting room while rubbing his eyes.

"Whose turn…" Zack started to ask.

Zack opened his eyes to find Raya seated in a wheel chair located in the middle of the room. She was holding a precious bundle wrapped in a pink blanket.

"Raya?" Zack squeaked,

"Come see your daughter," Raya ordered.

"She's beautiful!" Zack gasped while kissing the baby.

"Let's name her so I can go to bed," Raya suggested. "It looks like you could use some shuteye too."

"You should name her since you went through all of the pain of having her," Zack suggested.

"That's very considerate of you, but we're going to have to raise this child together," Raya objected.

"You take first and I'll take middle," Zack gave in.

"I think she needs both a Mexican and an American name so she'll grow up to appreciate both of her heritages," Raya pondered. "I like Anita. What is her middle name going to be?"

Zack closed his eyes to think. He didn't have to think long because he knew that he wanted to thank the person most responsible for changing his life.

"Her middle name is Jerrica," Zack answered while opening his eyes.

"Oh, Zack!" Jerrica cried out while rushing to hug him with a tear running down her cheek.

"I never would have met Raya if it hadn't been for you," Zack whispered in Jerrica's ear so only she could hear.

"I think this is his way of asking you to be the godmother," Raya guessed.

"Of course!" Jerrica beamed.

* * *

><p>Five years later, Zack drove Anita to her first day of kindergarten. She had blonde hair with skin almost as dark as her mother's. When he got there, he unbuckled his daughter's seatbelt.<p>

"I love you, daddy!" Anita cried out with a hug and a kiss.

"I love you," Zack echoed just before his daughter got out of the car.

Zack watched his daughter meet up with Ted Stoppable whose family had moved into town that year. The two kids had already played together several times. Zack got the wild idea while watching the scene that he might someday have to give Anita away to Ted. He dismissed the idea because he knew there was plenty of time to think about such things. Right now, he would just enjoy being a parent.

THE END

A/N I wrote this story because I love the 39 Clues books and I wanted one of my least favorite villains Isabel Kabra to come to a fitting end. Thanks for the reviews Lily. Thank you, scoobycool for the favorite vote.


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